FWIS 183 Famous Fakes in Early Christian Literature

FWIS 183
Famous Fakes in Early Christian Literature

Rice University, Fall 2015, 2:00-2:50pm MWF, HNZ 207

Instructor
Grant Adamson, PhD (Religious Studies)
Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow, Program in Writing and Communication
office: Fondren Library 414
email: gwa1@rice.edu
website: grantwadamson.com
Office hours
By appointment, weekdays.

Course description
The Gospel of Jesus’ Wife, the Gospel of Judas, the Secret Gospel of Mark ... 2 Thessalonians,
the Pastoral Epistles. These are some of the famous fakes in early Christian literature. Or are
they? Is it possible to tell, and if so, how? What makes one of them a fake and not another? Are
ancient and modern forgeries really that different? What is a forgery, anyway? In this course we
will read and write about these and other questions as we discuss such texts along with the
canonical Gospel of Mark and the undisputed letters of Paul. We are interested in these questions
because we want to discuss not only authorship and forgery but also: how academic information
is produced, represented, and analyzed; what critical tools are available for analysis; and the
ways in which their selection and use are part of broader cultural dynamics.
FWIS learning objectives and additional course goals

By taking this First-year Writing-Intensive Seminar, you will:
o Enhance your understanding of the central place of writing and communication in the
learning process and in academic life.
o Learn strategies for analyzing, synthesizing, and responding to college-level readings.
o Improve your ability to communicate correctly and effectively in writing and in speech,
taking into account audience and purpose.
o Become comfortable with writing as a process and learn strategies – such as prewriting,
outlining, and revision – for working through that process.
o Learn appropriate use of the work of others and, where necessary, specific practices of
citation.
o Learn to articulate oral arguments and to respond productively to arguments of others in
formal presentations and in class discussion.
o Additionally you will become familiar with the critical study of biblical literature,
including some aspects of research and citation.
About the Center for Written, Oral, and Visual Communication (CWOVC)
Plan ahead and make appointments with the peer consultants at the Center for any of your
assignments in this course, especially the three papers and oral presentation. These consultants
do not proofread or edit your work for you, but they will provide feedback on topics such as the
organization of your paper or presentation, the coherence of your argument, appropriate sentence
structure, and grammatical errors. For more information and to schedule an appointment, visit
the Center’s website. See http://cwovc.rice.edu.
Required texts to buy/rent:

Michael D. Coogan et al. eds., The New Oxford Annotated Bible (Oxford; multiple editions).
*Note: other required readings will be posted or linked to on Owlspace.
Recommended texts to buy:

Wayne C. Booth et al., The Craft of Research (Chicago; multiple editions).
Gerald Graff & Cathy Birkenstein, They Say, I Say (Norton; multiple editions).
John R. Trimble, Writing with Style (Prentice Hall; multiple editions).
Course requirements and policies

1. Grade overview
Attendance, preparation, and participation 15%
0-3 points/day
0 = absent
1 = was not prepared and (so) did not participate (meaningfully)
2 = prepared and participated partially
3 = prepared and participated fully
Major assignments (see instructions below)
Three papers (4-5 pages each) 15%, 20%, 25%
graded on scale below
Individual oral presentations (5 minutes each), 5%, 10%
graded on scale below
Minor assignments (see instructions below)
Statement of interest and writing goals plus diagnostic (2 pages) 2%
completed = full credit
Research assignment (2 pages) 4%
Rhetorical style and mechanics assignment (2 pages) 4%
2. Grading scale
100-94 (A), 93-90 (A-), 89-87 (B+), 86-84 (B), 83-80 (B-), 79-77 (C+), 76-74 (C), 73-70 (C-),
69-67 (D+), 66-64 (D), 63-60 (D-), 59-0 (F).

3. Attendance. “Students are expected to attend all scheduled activities for all of the classes for
which they are registered during the entire course of the academic semester for which they are
enrolled,” according to university academic policies and procedures (emphasis added). See
http://ga.rice.edu/Home.aspx?id=223&libID=243.
4. Absence. “The university understands that students participating in university-sponsored

extracurricular activities may, on rare occasions, need to miss a class session during the
semester. As a matter of course, students should inform their instructors in advance of absences
resulting from participation in university-sponsored activities, and faculty normally will give a
2
reasonable opportunity to make up work missed on such occasions ... Absences for activities
other than university-sponsored events may be negotiated on an informal basis between the
student and the faculty member,” again according to university academic policies and procedures
(emphasis added). See http://ga.rice.edu/Home.aspx?id=223&libID=243.
In case of rare absence due to university-sponsored extracurricular activities, please send me an

email in advance. To negotiate any other absence, please do the same. At most, 3 total absences
may be excused in either case.
5. Deadlines and Late Work. “No student should be given an extension of time or opportunities
to improve a grade that are not available to all members of the class, except for verified illness or
justified absence from campus,” according to university grading guidelines (emphasis added).
See http://professor.rice.edu/professor/grading_guidelines1.asp.
To verify an illness or justify another cause of absence (primarily medical or family emergency)
please send me an email in advance if possible, and if not, then as soon as possible after the fact.
At any rate, please do so before returning to class or turning in any work late.
Otherwise deadlines in this course are not flexible, and late work will not be accepted.
6. Electronic devices in class. Laptops and tablets are not prohibited, but of course you will only
want to use them for the purposes of our class (it goes without saying that you won’t want to text
or talk on your cellphone). Before using a laptop to take notes, consider the advantages of the
traditional pen-and-paper method or its equivalent. See http://www.psychologicalscience.org/
index.php/news/releases/take-notes-by-hand-for-better-long-term-comprehension.html.
7. What to bring to class. To facilitate and ground our discussion of the reading, please bring the
required text/s with you to class, either in hard copy or on an electronic device.
8. Seminar means discussion. In keeping with FWIS learning objectives reflected in the very
designation of the FWIS as a seminar rather than a lecture course, class will be a mix of lecture
and discussion, with an emphasis on the second. This is also in keeping with my teaching
philosophy: While I do lecture as appropriate, I see my role as a teacher to be not only delivering
information but more importantly posing carefully informed questions as prompts for reflection,
discussion, and knowledge application. I believe that the give-and-take of discussion and human
interaction between instructor and student as well as between the students themselves is an
essential part of learning that solitary study, as imperative as it is, simply cannot get at. I am keen
to foster a critical exchange of ideas in the classroom and do not expect that my interpretations or
conclusions will become those of my students.
9. Reading. Because the papers and other assignments are based on the required texts, it’s
imperative that you read them before you begin the writing process. And you’ll want to do that
early. By all means, then, read ahead. Moreover you’ll find at least some rereading to be
necessary as you write and revise your papers.
3
10. Writing and revision. Most any good writing process involves several steps, including
prewriting (cataloguing and ranking your ideas), writing (articulating your ideas and their
relation to one another), and rewriting or revising (re-arranging, adding to, and subtracting from
what you have written). It takes time, in other words, and you should start soon enough for your
papers to sit a while before they’re due.
I expect you to have revised your papers already when you turn each of them in to me. Before
the due date, you will have opportunities to revise in light of our regular class discussions about
writing, about the reading, and about the progress of your papers. You will also have
opportunities to revise in light of my interventions, the peer-review exercises, and the Q&A to
follow the oral presentation of one of your papers. Additionally you are welcome to solicit
individual feedback from me at any time, excepting the last two days before the due date; just
make an appointment. And don’t forget the consultants at the CWOVC.
After the due date of each paper, there will be no further opportunities for graded revision, with
this exception: you may further revise one of your three papers and resubmit it by the end of
finals. To do so, make an appointment with me no later than the last day of class. At the
appointment, have an action plan ready. I will give you feedback and offer additional suggestions
for revision. The grade of the optional further-revised paper will not replace the original grade;
the two will be averaged.
Honor code statement

One of the purposes of FWIS is to help new students understand the Rice Honor Code and, more
explicitly, to teach students the rules of paraphrasing and scholarly attribution as well as the
appropriate uses of different types of evidence. Accordingly FWIS instructors will take an
educational approach to transgressions of these rules and respond to errors in these areas
foremost as issues for grading and opportunities for correction, rather than as instances of
academic dishonesty. At the same time, all FWIS instructors retain the authority to treat
instances of repeat or egregious violations as matters for the attention of the Rice Honor Council.
In this course, you are expected to do the actual writing of your assignments in your own words,
with no help from anyone else. You are strongly encouraged, however, to collaborate on all other
aspects of you coursework, which includes discussing the texts and assignments with your fellow
students, reading each other’s writing, and making suggestions for revision.
ADA statement
If you have a documented disability and will be seeking academic adjustments or
accommodations, please let me know during the first two weeks of class. All discussions will
remain as confidential as possible. Students with disabilities will need to contact Disability
Support Services in the Allen Center.
Add/Drop
Because the registration process for FWIS is unique, I include the how-to link here:
http://registrar.rice.edu/fwis_reg/#how
Proviso
4
The information contained in this course syllabus, other than the absence policy, is subject to
change with reasonable advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.
Schedule
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNIT ONE
M 8/24
In class: Course intro and overview
After class: Begin your statement of interest and writing goals plus diagnostic.
W 8/26
Before class: Upload a statement of your interest and writing goals plus diagnostic in Word or
PDF to Owlspace by 1:55pm.
Before class: Read Booth et al. 188-199 (Owlspace); Graff & Birkenstein 55-67 (Owlspace).
In class: Lecture and discussion about summary, paraphrase, quotation and citation; ways of
engaging others and their ideas
F 8/28
Before class: Read Bond 7-53 (Owlspace).
Before class: Prepare 1 page of notes or talking points (typed or hand-written, your choice), re:
What is Bond saying? How does a historical reading of scripture differ from a literary reading as
well as a devotional or confessional reading?
In class: Lecture and discussion about reading scripture in terms of history and literature
After class: Start the first paper.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNIT TWO
M 8/31
In class: Lecture and discussion about writing: argument and evidence
W 9/2
In class: Lecture and discussion about oral presentations
F 9/4 [Add/drop deadline]

Before class: Be sure to have read Brown, 422-445; 1-2 Thessalonians.
Before class: Formulate a preliminary response to prompt i.
In class: Discussion about the prompt and the progress of your papers
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 9/7 Labor day: no class
W 9/9
Before class: Be sure to have read 1-2 Corinthians.
Before class: Formulate a preliminary response to prompt ii.
F 9/11
Before class: Be sure to have read Philippians (and Philemon).
Before class: Formulate a preliminary response to prompt iii.
5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 9/14
Before class: Be sure to have read Galatians and Romans.
Before class: Formulate a preliminary response to prompt iv.
W 9/16
Before class: Be sure to have read 1-2 Timothy, Titus.
Before class: Formulate a preliminary response to prompt v.
F 9/18
Before class: Be sure to have read Ephesians and Colossians.
Before class: Formulate a preliminary response to prompt vi and prepare for debate.
In class: Debate
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 9/21 Draft or detailed outline of first paper due at the beginning of class
Before class: Prepare a final passage from the reading that you would like to discuss, either one
that we have not talked about or one that you would like to discuss further. It can be related to
your paper but does not need to be.
In class: Discussion about passages
W 9/23
In class: Individual oral presentations of papers, followed by Q&A
F 9/25
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNIT THREE
M 9/28 Final draft of first paper due at the beginning of class
In class: More lecture and discussion about writing: organization and flow
After class: Start the second paper.
W 9/30
Before class: Be sure to have read the Gospel of Mark.
F 10/2
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 10/5
Before class: Be sure to have read Smith’s translation of the Letter of Clement to Theodore
(Owlspace); Mark 10 with passages from Secret Mark (Owlspace); Foster 171-182 (Owlspace);
6
Carpocratians according to their opponents (Owlspace); Cohen 257-278 (bibliography of Smith’s
writings), 279-285 (Owlspace).
In class: Lecture and discussion about the overall issues surrounding Secret Mark
W 10/7
Before class: Formulate a preliminary response to prompt iii.
F 10/9
Before class: Be sure to have read Smith 12-20 (Owlspace).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 10/12 Midterm recess: no class
W 10/14
Before class: Be sure to have read Stroumsa vii-xxiv (esp xiii-xxi), 79-82 (letter 40) 83-86 (letter
42), 89-90 (letter 45), 114-115 (letter 63), 117-118 (letter 65), 121-125 (letters 68-69), 132-134
(76-77), 152-153 (letter 92), 155-162 (letters 94-97), 193-200 (Owlspace).
Before class: Formulate a preliminary response to prompt v.
F 10/16
Before class: Prepare for debate about prompt v.
In class: Debate
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 10/19 Draft or detailed outline of second paper due at the beginning of class
W 10/21
In class: Individual oral presentations or papers, followed by Q&A
F 10/23
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNIT FOUR
M 10/26 Final draft of second paper due at the beginning of class
In class: More lecture and discussion about writing: introductions and conclusions
After class: Start the third paper
W 10/28
7
Before class: Be sure to have read the Gospel of Judas (Owlspace); to have explored the Lost
Gospel website (Owlspace); to have read DeConick in NY Times (Owlspace); NatGeo’s reply to
DeConick (Owlspace); DeConick’s further reply (Owlspace).
F 10/30
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 11/2
Before class: Be sure to have watched the NatGeo TV special (Owlspace); to have read the Waitt
Foundation’s report (Owlspace); Meyer’s statement on DeConick’s blog (Owlspace); Brodie 17-
27 (Owlspace).
Before class: Prepare for debate.
In class: Debate
W 11/4
Before class: Be sure to have watched the Smithsonian short video (Owlspace); to have explored
the Gospel of Jesus’s Wife website (Owlspace); to have read Moss at Daily Beast (Owlspace);
Baden & Moss on the CNN religion blog (Owlspace).
Before class: Formulate a response to prompt iii.
F 11/6
Before class: Be sure to have read Baden & Moss in Atlantic (Owlspace).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 11/9 Draft or detailed outline of third paper due at the beginning of class
W 11/11
F 11/13
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UNIT FIVE
M 11/16 Final draft of third paper due at the beginning of class
To class: Bring a lap top computer, if possible.
In class: Lecture and discussion about research; how to use the library and its website
In/during class: Start the research assignment.
8
W 11/18
In class: Examples from my research; lecture and discussion about research processes
F 11/20 Research assignment due at the beginning of class

In class: Reports and reflection on the assignment
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 11/23 No class (annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature)
W 11/25 No class, but I’ll be available to meet about the optional further-revised paper
F 11/27 Thanksgiving Recess: no class

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M 11/30
Before class: Read Trimble 64-93 (Owlspace).
In class: Lecture and discussion about rhetorical style and mechanics
After class: Start the rhetorical style and mechanics assignment.
W 12/2
In class: Examples from my writing; more lecture and discussion about rhetorical style
F 12/4 Rhetorical style and mechanics assignment due at the beginning of class
In class: Reports and reflection on the assignment; wrap-up discussion
[Outside of class: Last day to meet with me about the optional further-revised paper]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Optional further-revised paper due W 12/16 by 5pm]
9
Assignment instructions
MAJOR ASSIGMENTS
Argumentative response papers
 Read through the prompts so that you have them in mind.

 Complete the unit readings listed on the schedule.
 As you read, consider what you want to write about. It can be based on the prompts or
else something you come up with yourself from the reading (be sure to get my approval).
Jot down your ideas. Start drafting right away.
 Your final paper should be 4-5 pages double-spaced (not counting bibliography). It
should be written in Times New Roman 12pt font. It should start with your name and an
appropriate title. It should include consistent citation either in the form of in-text citation
or in the form of footnotes (not end-notes), author-date (not author-title), with a
bibliography at the end. For details of the author-date system, see ch.15 of the Chicago
Manual of Style, which can be accessed on the stacks in the library or online here:
http://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org.ezproxy.rice.edu/16/ch15/ch15_toc.html
 Upload your draft or detailed outline (1-2 pages minimum) to Owlspace by the due date
on the schedule. At the beginning of your file, as a cover sheet, please tell me: what the
question is that you are writing about; what your answer to that question is; and what
your top two or three reasons are for that answer, with supporting evidence. *Note: If you
do not upload your draft or detailed outline by the due date, unfortunately you will not be
able to participate in the peer-review exercises and the oral presentations with Q&A, and
you will lose the participation points for those days.
 Upload your final draft to Owlspace by the due date on the schedule. At the beginning of
your file, as a cover sheet, please tell me: what you have done to revise your paper since
you uploaded your draft or detailed outline, chiefly how you addressed the feedback you
got from me and any feedback you got as part of the peer-review exercises and the Q&A
sessions to follow the oral presentation of one of your papers.
Individual oral presentation of one paper
 Prepare a 5-minute oral presentation of your paper.

 This includes either slides or a handout, but not both.
 You won’t have time to read your full paper, so decide what to showcase, adapting
sections of what you have written there.
 For yourself, consider whether you want a set of talking points or a complete script.
 Either way, rehearse your presentation more than once, and be sure that it comes in at
right around 5 minutes.
 Anticipate questions.
10
Individual oral presentation of a writing tip
 Select a book on writing from among the titles that I list for you or one that you find
yourself and I approve.
 Pick a chapter in the book and read it, looking for a specific writing tip that you would
like to apply in your current paper.
 Prepare a 5-minute oral presentation that has the following elements: the bibliographic
information for the book; a brief explanation of the writing tip; one or two examples of
the writing tip applied; a brief statement of why you chose it and how you plan to apply it
yourself in your current paper.
 This includes either slides or a hand-out, but not both.
 For yourself, consider whether you want a set of talking points or a complete script.
 Either way, rehearse your presentation more than once, and be sure that it comes in at
right around 5 minutes.
MINOR ASSIGNMENTS
Statement of interest and writing goals plus diagnostic
 See separate handout from the first day of class (also posted on Owlspace).
Research assignment
 Using the library catalog, find a single published book, book-chapter, or journal article
that deals as directly as possible with the topic of one of your three papers.
 Access that publication in print on the stacks or electronically and read it (in the case of a
book, select one chapter).
 In 2 pages, summarize, paraphrase, and/or quote the publication where necessary as you
describe how you would interact with it, that is, the author, in a revision of your paper.
Does the author support or challenge your claims? What is your response? Where would
you revise your paper, and how?
 Cite the publication in-text or in footnotes, author-date, with a corresponding
bibliographic entry at the end of your document.
Rhetorical style and mechanics assignment
 Reread your three papers and ask yourself: What about my writing does or does not make
it enjoyable to read? Do I vary the length of my sentences? Do I choose appropriate
words? Do I repeat certain words or phrases (too often)? How is the tone of my writing
11
(e.g. serious or impersonal, playful or flippant, critical or antagonistic)? Do I make any
common mistakes in spelling, punctuation, or grammar? Are they plainly mistakes? Etc.
 In 2 pages, answer these or other questions that arise from your reading of Trimble and
your papers, justifying as much of your language usage as you want.
12

FWIS 183 Famous Fakes in Early Christian Literature

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

You might also like

FWIS 183 Famous Fakes in Early Christian Literature

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

FWIS 183 Famous Fakes in Early Christian Literature

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

FWIS 183

Famous Fakes in Early Christian Literature

FWIS learning objectives and additional course goals

Required texts to buy/rent:

*Note: other required readings will be posted or linked to on Owlspace.

Recommended texts to buy:

Course requirements and policies

4. Absence. “The university understands that students participating in university-sponsored

In case of rare absence due to university-sponsored extracurricular activities, please send me an

Honor code statement

F 9/4 [Add/drop deadline]

F 11/20 Research assignment due at the beginning of class

F 11/27 Thanksgiving Recess: no class

Argumentative response papers

 Read through the prompts so that you have them in mind.

Individual oral presentation of one paper

 Prepare a 5-minute oral presentation of your paper.

Statement of interest and writing goals plus diagnostic

Rhetorical style and mechanics assignment

You might also like